BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

UN chief says may charge Israel $11 million for damage done to its facilities during Gaza war, adds that it is 'critical' Israel freeze settlement activity. EU's Solana says he expects Netanyahu to endorse two-state solution. by Yitzhak Benhorin UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday it was "critical" that Israel halt all settlement activity. He added that he was considering fining the state $11 million for damage it did to UN facilities during the Gaza war. Ban says the fine was recommended by a committee elected to investigate damage done by the IDF to UN structures during Operation Cast Lead. Regarding the settlements he said, "The UN position is well known. It is critical that Israel freeze settlement expansion and dismantle outposts as the Quartet, and more recently US President (Barack) Obama, have asked," he told a press conference in New York. The secretary-general said the Middle East Quartet had scheduled a meeting in Italy ahead of an ...

THE ARAB SHELL GAME What they say is not what they want. And its high time the rest of the world WOKE UP! Unserious summit At the Arab summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reportedly said, "The Arab peace initiative is one of the pillars for the peace process... This initiative sends a signal that the Arabs are serious about achieving peace." Well, not exactly. Not yet. The Arab states seem serious about looking like they are serious about achieving peace. If the Arab states were serious about achieving peace, they would not be putting forward an ultimatum, complete with threats of war if it is not accepted, to which no Israeli government could possibly agree. Indeed, this would seem to be the objective of the summit: an Israeli rejection that would enable the Arab states to once again say that it is Israel that is the obstacle to peace. Israel should not fall into this trap . The government should say that it is obvious that peace cannot be achiev...